New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-01-11
AUTO ENGINEERS
ANALYZE STANDARDS
Henry Souther Points Out
Benefits of Cooperation
by Manufacturers.
SAVES MONEY FOR
MAKER AND BUYER
Producer and Consumer Save ny
Standardization of Parts and
Get Better Car.

In q keen ANALYSIS OF the Dement'S tnat
have accrued to the automobile manu-
facturer through the Standardization "oi
of the Society OF Automobile Engineer -
Henry Souther. chairman OF the s'aho-
ards committee, speaking last hle"t al
tbe annual banquet Of the society at tne
Hotel Plaza. made a strong appeal ior
closer relation in standardization wo'N
between the engineer and the manuiact-
urer.
Mr. Souther pointed to the large part
nIaved by the Master Car Builders Nss"-
ciation and similar bodies In evolving
standards for their Industries saying tn"'
in each instance the manufacturers gave
complete support and financial assistance
IN the work of the engineers, reaiizihs
that on their efforts rested the ultimate
success Of the respective industries.
"rhe management that carries s'afu-
ardization to the highest degree oil per
lection must succeed" said MI Souther'
..To be specific, ii is not possible lor III"
s,onc. IN nroduce a good cheap car
,,ode nm Of Darts that are not standard
lied.
I'm the matter of greater cooperation
in standardization work, why should not
tho engineers and the manufacturer VINO
must cooperate in the factory work to-
gether In the greater field OF s'ahua' 10
for the industry at large
Referring directly 10 the automoole III
dustry. the speaker declared; III ls d
grave mistake to think, as some no. that
the business man can find no useiui pia0o
in the society. on the contrary, the DUST
moss man acceleTates the acuon oi ou'
standards committee wherever one Is
found as a member.
In mart the speech Of Mr.. Souther fol-
lows:
The user Of the motor car IS peheiteu
nv the efforts of our organization, mas
much as a better and cheaper car can NC
obtained than would otherwise be possl-
BILE. The industry as a whole, hciuuihs
stockholders and employees, DEMENT'S De
cause the standardized car reaches more
people. being as il is both cheap and sood'
our industry is responsible for nun
dreds OF special details of construction
of benefit neither to producer nor con-
sumner These cost money when "oulu
be much better spent to improve quality
ar TO save and thereby lessen cost. Our
committees are avoiding all OF these I'M
/ fortunate details OF construction.
Changes often seem advisable IN
noints OF special detail. and this in turn
means loss in production and higher
nrice to the consumer. Details or con-
struction that have passed through the
hands OF our committee are those WHICH
have been through all the changes likely
to be made. All of this is waste ana
so,,e one must pay the bill. AS usual
the public finally pays.
what we are doing. therefore Is 70
save money for the producer and for the
consumer. and at the same time make
possible the production of better ar
| ticle.
"Some one has stated: A good defini-
ton of Standardization in the engineering
sense is to say that it means the eiml-
nation OF the unnecessary.
"A standard should represent the COL
lective knowledge of all concerned, not
the marrow viewpoint OF some one man or
group of men.
There is much work to be done III
| connection with standardization. Inc
tendency of the time to lower the COST
| of construction can be immensely furth-
| cred by the adoption OF STANDARDS ahu
without deprecatng the quality OF the
product ....o..,. -,
ITO standardize i'm any one factory OF
| companv is common practice; all strive
TO do that for the simple reason that IL Is
good business and good engineering. Inc
, management that does not do so must
| fail in the long run. The MANAGEMENT
that carries standardization TO the hlgh-
est degree OF perfection must succeed.
THE business man should mix with
the engineer in this work and In TINS so
ciety. An associate membership is pro
vided for that purpose. The business
man and the engineer work together in
the factory and accomplish much more
for the company than If they were not
| CO. ordinated elements. In this way the
| industry at large can be advanced JUST
as rapidly in proportion as are advanced
! the interests OF the single company.
THE automobile industry is in state
OF change. a change from an artlncia
way of business to a substantial basis
Freak business methods and freak en-
gineering must disappear
The banquet was attended by more
than five hundred members OF the society
from all over the United States. Speeches
were made by Howard Marmon. secre-
tary and chief engineer OF the Nordyke
& Marmon Company and past presiden
! OF the Society OF Automobile Engineers,
and Coker F.. Clarkson. secretary and
general manager OF the society.