El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1913-06-09


to weights ana measures In the
cessOr of the office of weights and
measures originally established in the
Z LreaSurey department and afterWard q
| branch of the United States coast and
| geodetlc survey. 1t was from the office
[ OF weights and measures that stan
I dards were supplied to each of the
states FOR the purpose of furnishing the
Z means or a uniform system OF weights
/ and measures throughout the nation
/ How these standards were neglected
! and the manner in which they are now
being called into public service is but
a small part or the excellent work ac-
! compllshed by the new bureau of stan
dards, established in 1901 and at pres
ent supplied with an equipment that is
the admiration Of the scientific world
I Comparatively few of the sets of
| standards supplied TO the governors Of
I all the states between 1888 and 1850
( have been used to any appreciabIe ex-
| tent Those belonging to Colorado
! were found in a subcellar under the
| state capitol, their appearance indfcar-
ing that they had not been disturbed
since they were received and placed
/ there 50 years before. Those furnished
10 Kentucky are supposed TO have dis
! appeared during the civil war No
! knowledge of them is possessed by the
: present generation In Iowa the stan
/ dards were discovered in a little vauI+
! connected with the state university of
| Iowa City, which was the states first
/ NdpAldl- ~ men the capital was re-
/ moved TO Des 1Ioines the former caDif07
/ building was turned over 10 the state
| university 1t IS provided by the con-
I StlUutlon Of Iowa that the state suDer-
: lntendent of weights and measures
8 shall be selected from the Drofesso-s
: OF the university. 1t was found after
[ a recent examination that the oil stand
ards the existence of which had heaD
almost forgotten, were in good condf-
ton, while the standards Of the metric
system which were furnished AT a
much later date were corroded and i'm
paired In value.
States Pay for Standards.
IN ONO the set of standard weights
eHG measures furnished to the state in
Ieos; oy the state law were made the
legal standards for the business Of the
state Copies Of these standards were
I required to be furnished to each cOun-
" for use Of the county sealer and also
20 cites upon request and at their own
expense me act of congress passed
IN 1886 provided that each state Should
pc 1urnls shed with one set Of standards
w hen these have been lost as in Ken
lucky, or destroyed by fire as in Penn
sylVanla, the state itself must nav for
the new set The bureau of standards
is ready 10 supply such sets but the
expense Of them must be paid by the
Test State weights.
me bureau Of standards was called
into existence by the need Of a means
OF securing absolute accuracy in all
measuring Instruments It is uub1fc
oIIlce paid for from public funds and
It's services are available for every
STATE The enactment OF a federal law
IS under consideration which viii re-
quire each state to send its standards
IN at regular intervals TO be tested
and corrected It will not be neces-
sary If the states themselves. recognize
lnelr responsibility in the matter. Many
already are doing this. Within the
past year the standards Of Connecticut
lndlana, Arizona Minnesota. Montana
Vermont and Wisconsin have been
tested by the bureau. besides those Of
a large numebr of municipalities
The bureau of standards is ready
to make the tests uDon scales REQUIRED
Ior public use, the fees in some in
stances being paid by the state bene-
uJed- 1t has been so difficult to Sc
cure dependable and accurate scales
suitable for use by the county or CITY
dealers at a reasonable price that some
specially constructed scales have been
made by several companies from de-
ards
Measure Records Altitude.
The wonderful commercial and in
dustrlal development of the country
during the past quarter Of a century
requires the standardization of a num-
Der and variety of articles nOn-exist-
ent in former years The United states
government must have standards of
quality. chemical composition. tempera-
Uure and numerous other qualities
sumo Oh winch until recently have been
Unknown even TO scientists The adOD-
ton Of these standards is no less i'm
pOrtant than the keeping of them and
both offices are being filled I'm the
Of standards
The development Of aviation required
some standard Of altitude by which
the altitude record Of an airship could
be gagged before its purchase bv the
government A scientific study of the
anerold barOmeters which register
lnese attitudes is now in progress at
the bureau. In cooperation with the
leading electrical interests reliable {
copper wire tables have been prepared :
Dy the bureau and adopted as standard I
Dy Inar industry Through interna-
uonal cooperation the electrical units
and standards of England. France and
the United States are now in close
agreement.
Chemical Tests Necessary.
me Standardization of Industrial
processes. and products and the appli-
callon OF precise methods in both
sclence and technology haye become /
Imperative The quality Of materials
depend upon their physical and chemi-
cal qualities Each Of these may be
measured and standardized as exactly
as their dimensions are standardized
Because q difference in method or in
time consumed in the process of manu-
Iacture may change the chemical com
posluon, a Standardization Of process
often Is necessary.
There is a standard specification"
for every ordinary article, the con-
struction or delivery of which is a mat
ter Of contract This standard must
be based upon the measured properties
OF the materials and the standard test 1
determines the properties which are /
Indispensable in the efficient and eco
nOmlcal use of materials These tests
may apply to anything from the paper !
which goes into the manufacture Of 4
official stationery, the cement which I
is used in the Panama canal locks. or I
the steel girders used in the construc-
ton Of same great building.
New Standards Required.
With such an increasing demand for
standards Indicating certain quality I
the responsibility Of providing them I
naturally falls upon the national gov I
eminent. The bureau of standards has 3
been organized to meet these wants
Modern requirements have made the {
care and maintenance of standards a (
technical laboratory operation which /
can only be performed by trained sDe-
ciallsts in different branches Of science.
The measure and control of high tenn .
peratures, the magnetic properties OF I
classes of steel, the testing of /
illuminants and flame standards are
among the newer matters for which
scientific and Industrial standards
must be secured by which to set the
standard measures for commerce
Among the objects tested by the bu-
reau of standards during the past wear !