DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

Washington, D. C.

MONTHLY NEWS BULLETIN

of

COMMERCIAL STANDARDS GROUP, BUREAU OF STANDARDS

(This includes: Division of Simplified Practice; Division of Specifications;

Commercial Standards Unit; American Marine Standards Committee.)

Address Inquiries to Commercial Standards,

April 15. 1928. Roo m 516 Commerce Buil d ing, Washington- No . 57

A TABLE OF CONTENTS

Paragraphs

Activities of Commercial Standards Group ... 26

Annual Meeting Wood Utilization

Committee ... 14

Approve Tire Simplification. 9

Australians Believe in Standards 18

Beginning of Simplification 2 Colored Business Men Analyze

Commerce 4

Distribution Cost Study.. 25

Economic Changes in United States

Studied 22

Envelope Simplification .... 11 Four New Members on Wood Utilization Committee 16

Germany Has -37 Hand-Tool Specifications 17

Paragraphs

Hosiery Employers - Employees

Cooperate to Eliminate Waste 5 Increased Use of Simplified Invoice 10

Looking Upstream 1 New ^rvice for Small Retailers 20

Official Standards of Quality 13

Plumbers to Hold Institute 21

Port Chester Adopts Building Codes 23

Research Essential 7

Retail Druggists Undertake Stock

Simplification 3

Simplification Worth the Effort. 6

Test Shows Value of End-Matched

Lumber 15

Too Many Tire Sizes 8

U. S. Master Specifications . . .. 24

Utilize Waste Cotton Products 12

Welsh Coal Standards 19

1 . LOOKING UPSTREAM

Ray M. Hudson, Assistant Director, Commercial Standards

Progressive business men waste little, if any, time wondering where business has gone. Instead

they are constantly studying where business is coming from. They look into conditions not only in the

fields represented by their immediate customers, but also beyond them into the fields from which

those customers derive their purchasing power.

To illustrate, a firm making electrical switches charts each month the figures for both residential and industrial building contracts, and thus anticipates the trend of demand for switches

in each of these classes of buildings. Further study of conditions favorable to residential building

in a community, or to plant construction in an industry, would indicate what construction to expect,

a3 well as when and where it is most likely to occur. A manufacturer of abrasives studies the statistics on automobiles, machinery, furniture, also stone and glass goods to find the best markets for

his products, and his findings in these fields influence his decisions relating to his own business.

Recent machine tool purchases presage increasing activity in the automotive, railway, electrical, airplane, and other industries.
Monthly News Bulletin No. 37 —2

Numerous examples might be cited of current activities which fortell activities about

to occur in other fields, but space won't permit. The point we stress is that it is not

sufficient to base plans or execute policies solely on the conditions immediately before an industry. It is better to take the long-range-view, — to look beyond the direct field of

consumption of the product, into those fields from whence comes the business that strengthens

or sustains the buying power of each industry in turn. Those who constantly "look upstream"

to the prime sources of their business are in better position to plan and finance operations,

procure materials, build up working forces, and conduct sales campaigns. They also can and

do assist in stimulating sales for those industries whose increased activity stimulates business for the ones doing the assisting.

Analysis of a company's sales, line by line, shows the principal fields in which its

product is consumed. Further analysis of the sources which produce the business those

fields enjoy will point out the factors which the first company needs to watch. Whether or not to make further analysis depends on the directness with which the facts in these fields

of advance activity bear on the business of the concern making the study. Nevertheless,

this growing tendency to look into industries, one, two or three times removed from that in

which the product is directly consumed is evidence of the broadening appreciation by business men that business, to be steady and continuous, must be studied and stimulated at its

prime sources.

"Looking upstream" is the new "order of the day" among those companies seeking to maintain stability the year 'round.

, *********************

STATISTICAL AIDS TO BUSINESS. The Record Book of Business, supplement to the Survey of Current Business, issued by the Bureau of the Census is now available, in sections, from

the Supt . of Documents, Government Printing Office, Washington, D. C. Part I, Textiles

100 per copy and Part II, Metals and Machinery (also 100) give detail facts furnishing a background from earlier years for comparison with current data. In this manner,

figures for corresponding months of previous years can be located at a glance and studies can be made of the relative growth, activity, etc,, of each industry, — of seasonal

fluctuations, and of influences of important past events. Data of this character will

supplement the studies by those who are "looking upstream" with regard to their own future business. Burke, the eminent statesman, once said, "Facts are to the mind the same thing as food to the body. On the due digestion of facts depends the strength and wisdom

of the one, just as vigor and health depend on the cither. The wisest in council, the

ablest in debate, the most agreeable in the commerce of life is that man who has assimilated to his understanding the greatest number of facts."

2. BEGINNING CF SIMPLIFICATION. The simplification of manufacture and the use of interchangeable parts in machinery had their beginnings in orders for army equipment.

As early as 1798 an order was issued for 10,000 muskets which were to b© made ex- actly alike. The art was well established by the time the War of 1812 made it nec- essary to buy large numbers of guns. One of these contracts read in part: "The

component parts of pistols are to correspond so exactly that any limb or part of

one pistol may be fitted to any other pistol of the 20.000."

3. RETAIL DRUGGISTS UNDERTAKE STOCK SIMPLIFICATION. After more than two years preliminary

effort, the Druggists' Research Bureau, 51 Maiden Lane. New York, was organized by

representatives of the National Association of Retail Druggists, wholesale and

manufacturing members of the National Wholesale Druggists' Association, and the

American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy. The object of the Bureau is to collect facts which may be of practical value to the retail druggists of th® country.
Monthly News Bulletin No. 37 —3

More than 25,000 retail druggists, their assistants and other people engaged in or serving the drug trade have become members of the Druggists' Research Bureau. They

have voted more than two to one that the first fact-finding study of the Druggists'

Research Bureau should be a stock simplification census.

Even with the most careful management, there is scarcely a drug store in this country which does not accumulate dead stock. Quite naturally, this dead stock slows

turnover and reduces profits. Anything which can be done, therefore, to remedy

this situation in any degree is bound to increase profits. If the druggists of

this country knew the individual profits, turnover and volume on every line and item

of merchandise in their stores they would know soon enough what to do; concentrate

attention and effort on those lines' and items which are found to have the greatest

sales and profit possibilities. Manufacturers and wholesalers benefit also because

the most profitable accounts tend to become even more profitable.

While there are many extremely slow sellers which a druggist has to carry to accom- modate professional and lay patrons, it is a decided advantage to know for sure what these items are, so as to keep investment and risks at a minimum and profits

at a maximum. On the other hand, an accurate knowledge of what is selling and how

fast it is selling may show deficiencies in a store's sales which, with proper effort, can be developed to fullest possibilities.

The first lines being investigated are in the toilet goods field. The nation-wide

census is now under way. Preliminary results already have been tabulated and show

many interesting and useful facts to all persons interested in the drug trade.

Copies of the Bulletin containing these preliminary results may be obtained from

E. L. Newcomb, Secretary of the Druggists' Research Bureau, 51 Maiden Lane, New

York City.

4. COLORED BUSINESS MEN ANALYZE COMMERCE. Evidence of a keen business consciousness among

colored business men is noted in the recent decision of a certain colored church of

Norfolk, Va . , to devote an hour pre-sermon discussion and a sermon to the conduct

of business by colored men. The principal speaker advised each business man to investigate his business thoroughly to ascertain its progress. For that purpose

he recommended systematic bookkeeping and periodical inventories upon which to determine profits, discover the turnover of each commodity, prevent overbuying, and

eliminate "leaks."

5. HOSIERY EMPLOYERS AND EMPLOYEES COOPERATE TO ELIMINATE WASTE. An instance of employer - employee cooperation is noted in the offer of mill workers in Philadelphia to cooperate with manufacturers in a waste elimination campaign. According to the chairman of the Committee of Full-Fashioned Hosiery Manufacturers, "the employees and

their organization officials are both capable and willing to deal with the conditions arising in the full-fashioned hosiery industry on a basis of actual facts,

with a full determination to so regulate their requirements as to assure themselves

of steady employment and provide their employers with a proper return on their investment." Wage schedules are being adjusted on the basis of time and effort involved, and standardized for general use. A mutual effort on the part of employers and employees will be made toward improvement of the quality and quantity of

output. Hosiery manufacturers have found this group effort so successful that they

have decided to try it in supplementary industries.
Monthly News Bulletin No. 37 —4—

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6. SIMPLIFICATION WORTH THE EFFORT. In discussing the value of simplification in Factory

and Industrial Management (Feb. 1928) Walter C. Stuebing referred the experience of

his own company for examples of benefits derived from the adoption of simplification. He said in part:

"Simplified standardized design eliminated need of big stocks. Large quantity

production permitted such accuracy that unskilled help could assemble in 8 per cent

of the time formerly required by high-priced help-. Standard trucks could be assem- bled from stock parts and painted the day the order was received. Simplification

produced big economies in production, it provided better quality of material and

workmanship, quicker deliveries, lower administration and sales costs. Simplification has greatly enlarged the scope of our business. Had we gone ahead in the old

haphazard way we should now be making an endless variety suitable for use in the

specific industries for which designed. Instead, a more comprehensive line requires

a far smaller variety of standard parts than the total of parts in the two old re- stricted lines."

7. RESEARCH ESSENTIAL, The Industrial Bulletin, Arthur D. Little, Inc. (March) remarks

that industry in a competitive field which does not do real research work these days

is going to find it increasingly difficult to maintain its business volume and to show a profit

.

8. TOO MANY TIRE SIZES. The chemists are blocked in further efforts to improve tires,

present conditions requiring them to devote their energies mainly to development of new sizes, writes A, F. Denham in Automotive Industries.

In his article Mr. Denham states that lack of simplification of tire sizes has again

become the bane of the tire industry. During the two or three years preceding the

advent of the balloon tire, reduction in pneumatic casing sizes made it possible for

engineers and chemists of the rubber tire companies to concentrate on advancement

in tire design and composition, resulting in tremendous increases in tire life and

reduction in manufacturing costs. Since the general adoption of the balloon tires,

however, automotive vehicle designers have called for new size after new size,

until the present market is swamped.

Under these conditions, with new sizes being called for continuously, engineers and

chemists of rubber companies are in a position where most of their energies have to be devoted to the design and production of these new sizes.

9. APPROVE TIRE SIMPLIFICATION. A tentative reduction in the number of automobile tire

sizes from 24 to 16 was unanimously approved at the March meeting of the directors

of the National Automobile Chamber of Commerce in New York City. The directors

also adopted a suggestion that the Rubber Association of America and the Society

of Automotive Engineers reach an early agreement on what the 16 proposed uniform

sizes are to be .

10. INCREASED USE OF SIMPLIFIED INVOICE. The General Electric Company has just completed

a survey of the invoices which are being received at the company's several works,

and reports gratifying progress toward the' general use of the simplified invoice

fora. Approximately nineteen per cent of all the invoices it received were on the

simplified form. It is hoped that other acceptors of the standard will conduct

similar surveys and that the results will be equally encouraging.
Monthly News Bulletin No. 37 —5*

11. ENVELOPE SIMPLIFICATION. The rapidly increasing use of the simplified invoice and of

the standard bank check has made it important to have available a window envelope

satisfactory for mailing these classes of documents.. Envelope manufacturers are now supplying two envelopes to be used in the mailing of the simplified invoice form, as well as the standardized checks. These envelopes are of the same size. 3-5/8

inches by 8-5/8 inches. The difference is in the size and location of the window.

One has a window 1-1/4 inch by 4 inches, located 5/8 inch from the left hand margin and

13/16 inch from the bottom, while the other has a window 1 inch by 5 inches, located

3/4 inch from the left-hand margin and 7/8 inch from the bottom. Either of these en- velopes can be used for the simplified invoice form or the standardized check.

The Post Office Department will incorporate in its new schedule, effective January

1, 1929, a "No. 6" envelope, 3-5/8 inches , by 8-5/8 inches , with a standard window 1-1/4

inch by 4 inches , located 5/8 inch from the left hand margin and 13/16 inch from the

bottom

.

12. UTILIZE WASTE COTTON PRODUCTS. An exhibit at the Tri-State Fair in Memphis, Tenn .

,

evidenced a household industry for the utilization of waste cotton products. The

exhibit demonstrated how salt bags can be converted into house-dresses and aprons,

children's rompers, face and tea towels, laundry bags, bibs, dish rags, and shoe bags.

Sugar bags were converted into over-draperies, pillow slips, quilt linings and personal apparel. Meal sacks were prepared for use as face towels, dish cloths, rom- per suits and napkins. Flour sacks were converted into towels, aprons, children's

shirts and rompers. Cotton strings were used to make braiding and to sew together

the closer weaves of waste cloth. They were also made into small pieces and used

for mops, as were old stockings. Tow sacks or burlap bags were converted into

carpets or scatter rugs, said to be both durable and pleasing in appearance.

13. OFFICIAL STANDARDS OF QUALITY. Government receipts issued on canned goods stored in

licensed warehouses are, under present plans of the Department of Agriculture, to bear certification of the grade of such product. The use of established grades on warehouse receipts for canned goods, as provided in the United States Warehouse

Act, is now pending the selection of official standards of quality,

14. ANNUAL MEETING WOOD UTILIZATION COMMITTEE. The annual meeting of the Committee on Wood

Utilization of the Department of Commerce has been called for May 4-5, in the Com- merce Building , Washington , D. C. This meeting will follow a lumber conference called

by Secretary Hoover for May 3-4, so that representatives of the various branches

of the lumber industry may gather simultaneously. Two half-days sessions will be

devoted to a discussion of the wood utilization committee's program by the principal

groups of producers, manufacturers, distributors, and consumers comprising the com- mittee .

15. TEST SHOWS VALUE OF END-MATCHED LUMBER. In an experimental house construction project,

a contractor in Washington, D. C., in cooperation with the National Committee on Wood Utilization of the Department of Commerce, and the Southern Pine Association

End-Matched Bureau, the use of end-matched lumber was responsible for savings of

25 per cent in labor costs, 15 per cent in time of construction, and 11 per cent in

material and nails. End-matching is an innovation in the economical use of softwood lumber, and is recommended by the National Committee on Wood Utilization for

covering and other purposes in building and construction. A booklet explaining the

economy and advantage of end-matched stock has
Monthly News Bulletin No. 37—6.

been compiled by the Committee under the title. "End-Matched Softwood Lumber and

Its Uses". This may be obtained from the Government Printing Office. Washington.

D. C., or from District Offices of the Department of Commerce.

16. FOUR NEW MEMBERS ON WOOD UTILIZATION COMMITTEE. Four new members have been appointed

to membership on the National Committee on Wood Utilization. The work of this com- mittee is steadily expanding and new members are added to follow this growth. The

object of the committee is to increase the utilization of timber because all

authorities agree that commercial reforestation will not be practical unless more

of the tree is put to use than is possible under present conditions. The new members are:

Ned B. Begle , President of the Berst-Fo rster-Dixfield Co., New York City; J. C. Carlin, Chief Chemist of the Tennessee Products Co., Nashville, Tenn.; Henry A. Gardner, Director, Institute of Paint and Varnish Research, Washington, D. C.; and

F. E. Schmitt, Managing Editor of the Engineering News-Record, New York City.

17. GERMANY HAS 37 HAND TOOL SPECIFICATIONS. Thirty-seven standard hand-tool specifications

have been submitted to all German manufacturers of that class of equipment for

approval, according to The DIN, Mitteilungen des deutschen Normenausschusses , which

says that the manufacturers have until April, 1928, to accept the standards, or to suggest changes, after which date the specifications will be made official.

18. AUSTRALIANS BELIEVE IN STANDARDS. To remedy the chaotic condition arising from the lack

of simplification, the Australian Commonwealth Engineering Standards Association

was created in 1922 The procedure of the Association in promulgating a specification is to announce it for twelve months as a "tentative specification" after

which it becomes permanent, subject to annual or periodic review and modification.

Wherever possible, the Australian standards are based on the British Standard

Specifications. In the United States the procedure differs from that of Australia

in that the tentative period is not used but each simplified practice recommendation

is subject to periodic review.

19. WELSH COAL STANDARDS. The standardization of sizes of steam coal is being considered by

Welsh coal mine operators, according to information received by the Department of

Commerce from the American Consul at Cardiff, The Monmouthshire and South Wales

Coal Owners' Association recently decided to recommend to collieries the adoption

of standard sized steam coals and the discarding of the present names "cobbles",

"nuts", "beans", "peas", "grains", etc., such alterations to be effective beginning April 2, The matter of standardization of sized coals has been under con- sideration for some time past by the Welsh coal owners and exporters and by the

French importers of Welsh coal.

At the present time, according to this report, there is no uniform standard for the

various sized coals, although the majority of collieries conform closely to the

proposed standards. This agreement relates only to steam sized coals, the question

of uniformity in anthracites being in the hands of Swansea exporters, who are un- derstood to be considering the subject of standardization.

20. NEW SERVICE FOR SMALL RETAILERS. The Department of Commerce has created a new section

of its Domestic Commerce Division to handle the business of the small retail es- tablishments. which group constitutes 79 per cent of all retailers operating.

The main purpose of the new section is to help these smaller merchants to help

themselves

.
Monthly News Bulletin No. 37—7,

The smaller business men's questions include a great variety of subjects relating

to profitable operation of retail stores. Inquiries from the meat and grocery

trades are especially numerous. It is also interesting to note that queries from

small merchants or citizens planning to engage in business on a limited scale com- prise a substantial percentage of ths 13.000 letters which have been received by

the Domestic Commerce Division.

21. PLUMBERS TO HOLD INSTITUTE. The Carnegie Institute of Technology will hold its Fourth

Annual Three-day Institute March 21-22-23. 1S28, at Pittsburgh. The Institute for

the Plumbing, Heating and Ventilating industries will be held by the Plumbing.

Heating and Ventilating Department under the auspices of the institution's Department of Industrial Relations.

22. ECONOMIC CHANGES IN UNITED STATES STUDIED. The Committee on Recent Economic Changes

recently met in New York City, to perfect plans for the study of economic currents

in the United States. According to the chairman of the committee, this study will

take the form of an inquiry into such questions as shifts in employment, changes

in methods of production in industry and agriculture, and in distribution, shifts

in relative price levels and profits, movements in the business cycle, shifts In standards of living, foreign trade and foreign credits, and other allied subjects

which bear upon an understanding of the major business currents and the general

business situation of the country.

23. PORT CHESTER ADOPTS BUILDING CODE. The recently completed Building Cods of Port Chester,

N. Y., follows the arrangement recommended by the Building Code Committee of the

Department of Commerce for use in the case of small communities.

Employing this arrangement avoids omission or duplication of items and the re- quirements are presented in a manner which represents the mature opinion of exports

on the subject. Uniform methods of presenting requirements are generally admitted

to save architects and contractors much time and energy. The arrangement recom- mended by the Committee is contained in the publication. "Recommended Practice for

Arrangement of Building Codes", which may be obtained from the Superintendent of

Documents, Government Printing Office, Washington, D. C., for 10 cents per copy.

24. U. S. MASTER SPECIFICATIONS. The Federal Specifications Board has promulgated the following specifications as United States Government Master Specifications:

F.S.B . 126a - Iron, pig, foundry, revision.

378a - Iron, malleable, castings, revision.

444A - Integral waterproofing material. revision.

548 - Bolts, nuts and machine screws

550 - Steel, staybolt, boiler

549 - Ste9l plates, marine boiler

551 - Laundry appliances

Copies of the above may be obtained upon request, from the Federal Specifications

Board, Bureau of Standards, Washington, D. C.

25 DISTRIBUTION COST STUDY. The Bureau of Foreign and Domestic Commerce, through its

Domestic Commerce Division, is conducting a study of distribution costs.

One study, "Analyzing Wholesale Hardware Distribution Costs" has been released.

Two others, one on distribution costs in a retail field, and another in the

wholesale grocery field have been completed and are now being prepared for general

release .
Monthly News Bulletin No. 37—8.

I

26, ACTIVITIES OF COMMERCIAL STANDARDS GROUP.

DIVISION OF S IMPLIFIED PRACTICE

SIDEWALK LIGHTS - The Standing Committee on Sidewalk, Floor and Roof Lights has

reaffirmed Simplified Practice Recommendation, No. 49. for another year, commencing March 1, 1928. A survey of the operations of the industry during 1927 showed

an excellent degree of adherence, amounting to 94 per cent.

PAVING BRICKS - The Standing Committee on Vitrified Paving Brick has reaffired

Simplified Practice Recommendation No. 1, for another year. A survey of the industry to ascertain the degree of adherence to this recommendation showed an average degree of 93 per cent.

SOLID SECTION STEEL WINDOWS - The "Blue Book" on Solid Section Steel Windows,

Simplified Practice Recommendation No. 72, has been received from the Government

Printing Office. This recommendation, which became effective on September 1, 1927,

reduced the varieties from 42,877 to 2,244, Copies of the printed recommendation

may be purchased from the Superintendent of Documents, Gvoernment Printing Office,

Washington, D. C., at 20 cents per copy.

BANK CHECK - The Standing Committee for Bank Checks met last month in New York

City and discussed with representatives of mechanical payroll equipment manufacturers, the adjustment of this type of equipment to handle the simplified checks.

It was brought out in this conference that this type of equipment could be made

adaptable to the requirements for the standardized check form, and would be of

considerable benefit to payroll equipment manufacturers, as it would avoid the

necessity for a diversity of types of equipment.

FIRE ENGINES - Simplification committee has drafted tentative recommendation

for reduction of variety of pumping capacities for presentation to industry, after

consultation with the National Board of Fir© Underwriters.

HACK SAW BLADES - Invitations and agenda sent out during March for general con- ference in Washington. April 12th

ICE CAKE SIZES - Survey of demand has been tabulated and Simplified Practice

Committee has sent tentative recommendation to all ice industries for consideration, and approval. Report on same expected on April 15th, after which definite

recommendation will be drafted for submission to the entire industry at a general

conference

.

CARTRIDGE FUSES - Simplification program now in hands of Fuse Section of National

Electrical Manufacturers Association Committee, and report is expected to be presented to meeting in June.

LOADING PLATFORMS - Manufacturers of this commodity have requested the Division

of Simplified Practice to cooperate in organizing a general program of reduction in

variety of dimensions. Platforms, or "skids", for handling various materials,

have been used for many years by large industrial firms in and around their own plants, but within a relatively brief period certain industries have accomplished

enormous savings, particularly in cost of loading and unloading freight shipments,

by shipping goods from plant to plant on platforms. A few railroad companies have

also developed this method for handling stores and supplies between stores points
Monthly News Bulletin No. 37—9.

on their own lines. The practice of shipping goods in this way is rapidly growing,

hence the need for nationally accepted standards of dimensions is becoming recognized by railroads, shippers and manufacturers of platforms and lift trucks. Hundreds of different commodities may be loaded and shipped on platforms, with re- sulting economy in cost of packing and handling, and in many cases more advantageous loading in cars. Platforms are already being used to carry sacked goods such

as sugar, cement, flour, etc., also for hundreds of manufactured products ranging

from flat paper stock to automobile parts . One large company has saved 77 per cent

in cost of packing material and 93 per cent in cost of loading and unloading, by

shipping its product on platforms from one plant to another.

Simplification of loading platform dimensions will involve simplification of

hand and electric lift trucks as well. It will in many cases be found profitable

to simplify certain kinds of industrial trucks and trailers, crane and hoist equipment, and various other material handling devices, in order to secure the maximum

economies possible through a universally recognized system of standards.

Elimination of Waste in handling materials is of particular importance in that

it reduces an item of cost without in any way affecting value, utility, or marketability. This thought was expressed briefly and with striking clarity and forcefulness by a railway official who recently summed it. up somewhat as follows: "Time

and money spent for handling materials increase cost, but add nothing to value

"

The Material Handling Division of the American Society Mechanical Engineers

is planning to discuss this simplification at its annual meeting to be held in

Philadelphia on April 23-24, 1928. According to the tentative schedule there will

be three papers presented. One will be by a representative of the Division of

Simplified Practice covering the general situation; another from the manufacturers

point of view; and a third from the viewpoint of the shippers and the railroads.

PAPER TAGS - Questionnaires on the variety of tag sizes and kinds of stock used

for making tags have been completed by manufacturers and returned to the Division.

A combined report is in preparation, which will serve as the basis for a simplified

schedule of tags of this kind.

GAUZE STANDARDS - The proposal for gauze standards is in the hands of the Standards Committee for changes. When finally approved by manufacturers of gauze, a general conference will be organized to secure the adoption of the program. These

standards will supplement Simplified Practice Recommendation No. 86, Surgical

Gauze, recently approved at a general conference and now in the acceptance stage

PYROXYLIN COATED FABRICS - A preliminary meeting of manufacturers of Pryoxylin

Coated Fabrics was held in New York on February 28 to consider a proposed simplification program for fabrics of this kind. The program is in the hands of the

simplified practice committee for completion in accordance with suggestions made

at this meeting, and when drafted in final form will be used as the basis for developing a recommendation for fabrics of this kind.

PENCILS - The simplified schedule for lead pencils which has been in process of

development for some time will be considered in general conference at West Baden

Indiana, April 30 - May 4. at the time of the Wholesale Stationers' Convention.
Monthly News Bulletin No. 37—10.

SURVEYING INSTRUMENT - TRIPOD THREAD - The proposal for the simplification of

Tripod Thread for Surveying Instruments has been referred back to the simplfied

practice committee until such time as there is sufficient indication of support on

the part of manufacturers to insure the success of the program.

COMMERCIAL STANDARDS UNIT

STODDARD SOLVENT - After several months of intensive study and laboratory ex- periment, the Standing Committee on Stoddard Solvent has reached a unanimous agreement that the amount of unsaturated hydrocarbons permitted in Stoddard Solvent

should be limited to 5 per cent, to be determined in accordance with a specific

method of test. A sketch of the modified Babcock bottle has been prepared and the

specification revised accordingly. It is planned to distribute this proposed com- mercial standard to all interested producers, distributors and consumers for final

acceptance, within the next few weeks.

PORCELAIN PLUMBING FIXTURES - The Advisory Committee on Porcelain Plumbing Fix=

tures has completed its study of dimensional standards and limitation of variety

for staple porcelain (all-clay) plumbing fixtures. The resulting recommendation

indicates a variety of 87 items to be retained as staple as compared to the present

total variety of 622. Dimensional standards are recommended for each of the 87

varieties and will be included in the agenda to be circulated with invitation to producers, distributors, and consumers to attend a general conference at 10:00 A.M. Tuesday, May 22. 1928, in room 704 Commerce Building. Washington. D. C. All those

interested in porcelain plumbing fixtures are invited to attend.

CLINICAL THERMOMETERS - A general conference of producers, distributors and users of clinical thermometers approved a commercial standard which established the

minimum requirements in the manufacture of thermometers of this character. The new production will begin October 1, 1928 One year, March 30. 1929, will be allowed

for the clearance of existing manufacturer’s stocks.

AMERICAN MARINE STANDARDS COMMITTEE

The following proposed standards were submitted to the membership for critical comment:

Deck Scuppers and Drains

End Fittings for Tubular Steel Cargo Booms

Consideration was given to a proposed standard specification for life-boat

disengaging apparatus.

Proposed revisions of the Constitution and General Rules governing the Committee have been outlined and are receiving consideration.

Final drafts of revised standards of rigging screws have been prepared and

submitted to the Technical Committee on "Hull Details" . The drawings of proposed standard scupper valve have been completed.

Proposed standard specification with sketches of glassware for ship equipment

has been outlined.

Final draft of specifications for insulation of piping and machinery has been

completed

.

Final drafts of specifications for several types of hose have been completed.

Organization of subject committee to study the possibility of standardizing

watertight receptacles for use on shipboard is about completed.

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