Evening star., 1901-03-11

Director StrattOn.
sistants, to be appointed by the Secretary
of the Treasury: One physicist, at
nual salary of $500; one chemist, at $500;
two assistant physicists chemists, each
at an annual salary of 5000; one laboratory
assistant, at s1,40O; one laboratory assistant,
at 100; one secretary, at $1,000; one clerk,
at 81 200; one messenger, at $I2O; one
gineer, at 81 800; one mechanician, a 81 400;
one watchman, at $12O, and one laborer at
$500.
Object of the Bureau.
The object of the new bureau, as stated
by the organic act is as follows:
That the functions of the bureau shall
consist in the custody of the standards; the
comparison of the standards used in scen-
tific Investigations, engineering, manufac-
turing, commerce and educational inStitu-
tions, with the standards adopted or recog-
niZed by the government; the construction,
when necessary, of standards, their multi
pies and subdivisions; the testing and cali
bration of standard measuring apparatus;
the solution of problems which arise in con-
nection with standards; the determination
of physical constants and the properties of
materials, when such data of great i'm
portance to scientific or manufacturing in
tereStS and not to be obtained of suf-
ficient accuracy elsewhere
Under the law these functions may be ex-
ercised for the government of the United
States, or for any state municipal gov
ernment; or for any scientific society, edu-
cational institution, firm, corporation or in
dividual within the United States engaged
in manufacturing or other pursuits requir-
ing the of standards or standard meas
uring instruments.
The director of the bureau shall issue
from time to time bulletins containing in
formation of value to the public. A reason
a foe hall ha oh, fN,. tL1
sons, celebrations or tests furnished persons
or firms.
The act authorizes the Secretary of the
Treasury to appoint visiting committee to
consist of five men prominent in the inter-
ests involved not in the employ of the gov
ernment, to serve without COMPENSATION
who shall visit the bureau once a year and
report upon it's operations to the Secretary
of the Treasury.
The New Director.
Prof. Stratton, the director of the new
bureau, has been the inspector of weights
and measures in the coast and geodetIc
survey. He came here about year ago
from the University of Chicago, and ac-
cepted the position temporarily, with the
aim in view of aiding the legislation which
resulted in the establishment of this i'm
portant scientific adjunct Of the govern
ment service.
Prof. Stratton was the professor of
physics in the University of Chicago, and
has established two physical laboratories
He is earnestly interested in the work
ahead of him and possesses the confidence
of his superiorS as well as the scientific
world at large. His appointment came as
surprise to him, being not only unsolicit-
ed, but unexpected. He will take hold of
the work Immediately.
Prof. Stratton is thirty-eight wears of
age, of athletic frame and apparently
capable of great deal of hard work He
was at the head of the naval militia of
nd in hn ,t.,l,
served as a lieutenant commander in the
navy.
Need of the Bureau.
'The idea of the establishment Of this
bureau" said Prof. Stratton to a Star re-
porter today, came to me from realiza-
tion of the need of such an institution in
this country. Every foreign power has
such bureau, and our work now must go
abroad. Throughout our country instftu-
tions of learning laboratories. observa
tories and scientific societies are being es-
tablished and are growing at a rate never
equaled In the history Of any nation. The
work of original investigation and instruc-
tion done by these institutions requires re-
liable standards and measuring instru-
ments, which in nearly every case must be
procured from abroad or cannot be pro-
cured at all.
'The introduction of exact scientific
methods into manufacturing and CONNER
cial processes involves the use of a great
variety VI SIdHudTuS OF Tar greater
curacy than formerly required An ac-
curate knowledge Of the high temperature
Of a furnace or refinery or the low tenn
peratnre Of refrigerating process is often
essential to the working Of the process
The scientific work carried on by the DIFF
ferent departments of the government in
wolves the use Of many standards and in
struments Of precision. which are too fire.
quentiy procured from abroad, owing to
our own lack Of facilities for standardiz-
ing.
AN institution having authority in mat
ters pertaining to standards and measuring
apparatus would serve as a means of pre-
venting and settling many Of the expensive
llt1gatfons which result from inaccurate or
unauthoritative standards. The necess.ty
Tor such authority has in one case alone
been so great that the leading association
OF electrical engineers has offered to pro-
vide the present Office of standard weights
and measures with the necessary equipment
II 1t would but undertake the work.
Manufacturers Handicapped.
"The manufacture Of physical astronom-
ical, chemical and other scientific apparatus
has been confined almost exclusively to for
eign countries but this industry is growing
in the United States at a rate which will
soon place our productions equal to those
OF any other country. Our manufa cturers
of such apparatus have shown that thew
can compete with the foreign product in
workmanship and design; they are, how
ever, placed at great disadvantage owing
to the fact that this government does NOT
provide them with the necessary standard
izing facilities. German and English man
ufacturers furnish official certificates with