The sun., 1900-12-29
FORSTANDARD DREFORM
Arguments In Behalf of Bill to Create
New Bureau.
PLEA BY SECRETARY GAGE.
Declares That ms the Years Go by 1t
Becomes More Necessary to Have
standardising Department
at Washington.

Washington, Dec. 2S.-Senators Nell
son and Turner, sitting as subcommit-
tee of the senate committee on COM
merce, heard arguments in support of
the measure now pending in the senate
providing for the establishment of a ma
tional standardizing bureau. Among
those heard were Secretary Gage, Pro-
fessor 0. II. Tittman, superintendent of
the coast and geodetic survey, and also
of the present bureau of weights and
measures; Professor w. 5. Stratton, in
spector of weights and measures under
the present organization and also pro-
fessor of physics in the Chicago universi-
ty, and Professor III. A. Rowland, pro-
fessor of physics of Johns Hopkins uni
versity.
They explained the object of the bill
and urged the growing Importance of a
complete standardizing bureau under gov
ernment direction. Secretary Gage rep
resented that such an institution is be-
coming more and more important as the
years go by. His opinion of the impor-
tance of the proposed bureau, as well as
that of the other witnesses, is summa-
rized in memorandum printed for the
use of the committee, from which the
following is an extract:
Until recent years this work has been
confined to problems concerned with the
standards of length, mass, capacity and
| temperature, but the increased order of
| accuracy demanded in scientific and COM
mercial measurements and the exceeding
| ly rapid progress of pure and applied
science have increased the scope of such
work until it includes many important
| branches of physical and chemical re-
! nI III f1,, itc f,,1
| formance a complete laboratory, fitted
for undertaking the most refined meas
| urements known to modern science.
Many Standards Required.
The introduction of accurate scientific
: methods into manufacturing and CONNER
ci;ll processes involves the use of great
variety Of standards of far greater accu-
.racy than formerly required. An accu-
ate knowledge of the high temperature
of a furnace or refinery or the low tenn
perature Of refrigerating process is Of
ten essential to the economical working
of the process.
Enormous commercial transactions are
daily based ON the reading of electrical
measuring apparatuses inaccuracies of
which involve great injustice and finan-
cal losses; hence the national bureau
should he in a position to elaborate or test
electrical standards of all kinds for com
mercial as well as for the most refined
scientific work"
Professor Tittman made an argument
for the establishment of the bureau upon
constitutional grounds, calling attention
to the fact that the constitution empow-
ers congress to fix the standard of
weights and measures. He contendel
thar fixed standards lie at the foundation
Of good government and called attention
to the measures adopted by Germany and
Great Britain in the direction proposed
by the pending bill for this country.
The bill contemplates the erection Of a
building in Washington for the use of
the bureau and for the selection Of a
complete staff TO take charge of the work.