DEPARTMENT 0? COMMERCE

Division of Dimplii'iad -Practice

Washington

MONTHLY NEWS BULLETIN August 15, 1925. No. 5.

ENLIST INOr THE ASSOCIATION'S FULL AID

While scores of trade associations have set into motion Simplified

Practice programmes, there is still need for more to join the ranks if

the war on waste Is to be successful. As has been said before, simplifications and standardizations cannot "sell1

* themselves. The full measure

of benefits can come only through wholehearted teamwork.

There is a very definite job for each trade association in Simplified

Practice, whether of manufacturers, distributors, or consumers. And it

is only to the extent that they cooperate., that they will benefit.

The manufacturing association can not only contribute to the success

of a. movement in its preliminary stages j but it can broadcast the results

in and outside of Its membership In a way that will emphasise its own value

to the industry. The distributing organization has an excellent opportunity to render a service to its members by inducing them to point out to

their customers wherein .it is to their advantage to purchase the simplified

lines,- The- corisumihg organization, Ivkbre such exists, has' a pecular right,

to po.int out to its; members that the . action taken in any Simplified Practice

C-eneral Conference was so developed as to protect the consumers* interests;

and that hence any attempt to ignore the items included in Simplified Practice Recommendations only delays the benefits which all might gain by adherence to the program, .>

Any of these associations can perform a service for the success of the

movement by advising the Division of manufacturers who, having formally

accepted the simplified lines, are not keeping their pledge. The fact that

it is Division procedure to name a standing committee representative of all

affected groups, supplies at once an organization to take up with the recalcitrant ones the subject of adherence (for the Division has no police

powers and wants none).

And as more associations realize that Simplified Practice permits

concentration on live lines, and results in mass production and its accompanying economies, few \wlll feel that they can afford to stay out.

* * * * * * *

The college of Commerce and Finance of Drake University, in Iowa, hag

joined three-score colleges and universities which have declared their intention to study Simplification and to cooperate in making Simplified

Practice Recommendations effective.

* * * *
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Estimates made by various groups in the plow bolt and nut industry

place the annual savings to that industry through Simplified Practice at

§600,000. This reduction from. 1500 to 840 items also means added savings

of time and convenience for tho farmer, as well as to manufacturers and

distributors,

% * ^ ^ The insecticide and fungicide industry is turning its attention to the

simplification of package’.'- sizes. A committee on simnlification of packages

is now making rapid progress in surveys and analyses. Such a program, it is

declared, would help solve the problems of dealer s®

* * * * * * * Manufacturers of trunks and bags have become interested in possible

benefits from simplification, and have asked the Division to outline its

methods and procedure. The Division has asked the manufacturers to secure

the facts as to existing variety and demand, as a basis for a simplification

program® *******

The National Association of Purchasing Agents, which was responsible

for the simplification early this year of invoice, purchase order and inquiry forms, has prepared rubber stamps -specifying use of the standard invoice forms. These are available to business houses at cost, tho Division

ha s been informed,

* * * * * * *

Tg make their cooperation in Simplified Practice programs more effective,

the Western Society of Engineers, with headquarters in Chicago, is creating'

a special technical committee to have more direct contact with the Division*

This committee will be headed by William A. Durgin of the Commonwealth Edison

Company, Chicago, who was "borrowed” from that company by Secretary Hoover to

become the first chief of the Division of Simplified Practice. The Committee

will give assistance to the Division’s work by broadcasting among the members

of the society the recommendations adopted by various groups, and will help

to keep Simplified Practice "sold”.

At a recent meeting in Atlantic City, cold storage warehousemen took

steps for the development of a set of standard warehouse forms which would

be specifically applicable to the cold storage warehousing industry. A

committee is being formed to survey the existing conditions.

*******

Reduction of styles and sizes of tacks to the extent of 54% and of

packing weights 62% is called for in the tentative program drawn up by a Simplification Committee cf the tack industry. This program will be

referred to a general conference of producers, distributors and users which

is to be held early in October*

*******

The canning industry, as represented at a preliminary conference of

can manufacturers, earners, distributors and others held on July 15th, has

decided in favor of eliminating the many variations within each nominal size.

To this end the Division has been asked to make further surveys as to

Production.

* * * * * * *
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The Electrical Manufacturers .Council, through, its Carbon Section, is • taking up with the Division tT proposal that- Rises of carbon brushes for motors'

be simplified,^ The proposal is meeting with the approval of representative

users,

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The Federal Government is not to be outdone by industry in the application

of Simplified Practice, The Navy representatives in the office of the Chief

Coordinator, Bureau of the Budget, have recently placed in the hands of all

supply officials in the Navy Department copies of Simplified Practice Recommendations adopted to date. The same information is being incorporated in an index and catalog of Federal stores, as well as in the revision of the Navy

Catalog,

The Division, on September 1, will send out invitations to a general con- ference of manufacturers, distributors and users of grinding wheels, which is

to be held September 25, The tentative simplification program will call for

the elimination of some 450,000 styles, sizes and shapes of grinding wheels

now carried in stock. The preliminary work of the simplification committee

has involved studies covering several months. Informal notice of the impending conference brought out the comment from the Naval Supply Depot, Brooklyn,

that the proposed simplification "would be of marked advantage to the Navy".

jjc jjc jjc jjc Adoption by a general conference, under the auspices of the Division, of

manufacturers, distributors , and shipper organizations, of a Simplified Practice

program reducing the variations in thicknesses 6f box board, is declared by

many of the shipper organizations and manufacturers to be a long step forward*

It is estimated that fully five million dollars will be saved annually to the

industry. The Simplified Practice Recommendations were the subject of resolutions adopted by the 16th annual convention of the Flavoring Extract Manufacturers f Association pledging full cooperation to the movement.

Manufacturers of bolts, nuts and rivets, through a simplification committee, are making rapid progress in the developing of a program which would

reduce the variety of containers for their products*

* * 3(c )(c * * 5(c Letters have been received by the Division pointing out possibilities

of simplification in a number of commodities, including commercial baskets

and fruit and vegetable containers, automobile poppet valves and a number of

other fields* This is only a reminder that Simplified Practice programs

can be started at the instance of any group, whether organized consumer,

distributor or producer, and that the Division* s publications are available

on request.

* * * * * * *

The Associated Knit Underwear Company of America and the Southern

Yarn Spinners Association have undertaken to determine what yarn sizes might

be eliminated through a simplification program.

* sje * * * * if

SUPPLEMENT TO MOUTHLY HEWS BULLET' IH NO. 5

Books, etc., dealing with Simplification, Standardization and "Waste

Elimination.

1. "Waste in Industry" - The report of the Hoover Committee

Published by McGraw-Hill Book Co., 370 - 7th Ave., New York City.

2. "Management’s Hand Book" - Section 17, pages 987-1034 deals with

Simplification and standardisation

Published by Ronald Press Co., 20 Vesey St., New York City.

3. "Trade Associations - Their Economic Significance and Legal Status."

Chapter XII deals with "Standardization of Products."

Published by National Industrial Conference Board, Inc.,

247 Park Ave., New York City,

4. "integration of Industrial Operations" - Census Monograph No, III,

Chapter IV deals with economics, etc. of large scale production.

Obtainable from Superintendent of Documents, Government Printing

Office, Washington, D. C. Price $1.00

5* "Economics of Overhead Costs" - by J, Maurice Clark

Treats of simplification and standardization and specialization,

mass-production, etc. and their effects on overhead costs.

Published by University of Chicago Press, Chicago, 111,

6. "Millions, from. Waste" - by Frederick A. Talbot

Deals with waste-elimination efforts, utilization of by-products,

reclamation, salvage, conservation, etc.

Published by J. B. Lippincott Company, Philadelphia, Pa.

7. "The Regularization of Employment" - by II. Feldman

Chapter VI deals -with "Diversifying the Output"

Published by Harper and Bros., 49 E. 33rd St*, New York City.

8. "Taking the Guess Work out of Business" - by William R. Bassett

Chapter III deals with "The High Cost of Variety"

Published by B. C. Forbes Publishing Co., 120 Fifth Ave.,

New York City.
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