Evening star., 1915-05-25
Secretary RedfieId Discusses
the Transition in Financial
Position of This Country.
SEES BALANCE OF BILLION
AT CLOSE OF FISCAL YEAR
Delivers Address at Meeting of Con-
ference on Weights and Measures.
Other Program Features.

Addressing the delegates to the tenth
annual conference on weights and
measures of the United States. the
opening session of which was held at
the bureau of standards today. secretary
Redfield of the Department OF Coih-
mercc asserted that the work OF 'he
state bureaus. of which those presen.
were representatives, more ciosets
touched a greater number of peopie.
probably, than any other state or led-
eral governmental function. Delegate"
representing about one-half OF lhe
states are in attendance at the con
ference, which is to continue tnroush
Friday.
1T is impossible to attach too much
Importance to the work of when the
delegates here are in charge, sald sec
retary Redfield.
Secretary Redfeld took occasion u,
his remarks to comment on the chanSes
that have been wrought in the aHaHs
of the country and the world since the
conference a year ago. ..
when this conference met IN 1919,
he said, "the United States OCCUPIED
the position of a debtor nation. Inc
nations of Europe held our obllgatloHS
for total Of $4,000. 100000 when hao
been loaned us to build our railroaas
and to finance our myriad enterprises.
When the storm broke last August the
United States. the richest nation IN tne
world. occupied this anomalous posi-
tion. Then the countries of Europe pc
gan to call on us to pay, and we raced
the situation that would be faced by
any man who on short notice was
called on to pay at once all that ne
owed.
for publication today. which shows
that in the time since the storm broke
in Europe we have passed from tne
position of a heavy debtor nation TO
that of a creditor nation. The adverse
balance Of $4,000, 100000 has been wiped
out, and at the close of business last
Saturday the United States was
creditor nation to the extent of $780,
600, 900. BY the close of the fiscal year
this huge sum will be increased to
$1,000. 100000"
DR.. Stratton's Theme.
Dr. s. W. Stratton, director of the bu-
reau of standards, also spoke OF the
Importance of the work in charge OF
the state bureaus in charge OF the dele
gates and commented on the progress
made during the last year in obtaining
adequate legislation in the states and
the establishment of state bureaus OF
weights and measures clothed with
power to regulate, to abolish abuses
and to enforce rulings and orders.
Owing to the absence of l.. A. Fischer
of the bureau of standards. secretary
of the conference, who is member OF
the jury of awards at the Panama
racine EXPOSITION, Ine secretary
port was read by F. S. Holbrook OF the
bureau. The report was a brief sum
mary of the work done by cooperation
of the bureau with the officials and the
legislatures of the various states. The
remainder of the morning session was
devoted to presentation of f1ve-minute
reports of the delegates.
At this afternoons session DR.. H. b.
Brooks of the bureau of standards pre-
sented a technical paper on testing
electric meters The committee on con-
stitution and bylaws presented a re-
port in which several minor changes
were recommended, and additional
five minute reports OF delegates were
also made.
Tomorrow mornings session Is to
open with paper on THE Troubles of
Beginner" by w. F. Titcomb, chief
deputy, weights and measures depart
ment of Tennessee. Clarke Arthur
Briggs of the bureau of standards is
to report on the railroad track scale
tests conducted by the bureau; H. L..
Van Keuren, also Of the bureau, is to
describe a method of adjusting rail-
road track scales. and F. ]. Schlnck,
another bureau scientist, is to discuss
automatic scales.
Tomorrow afternoon the delegates
are to go by special train to Chesa-
peake Beach. where they are to be
guests at a shad bake An elaborate
program of events has been arranged
for the occasion, including races, SWIM
mings events, etc. Motion pictures are
to be taken of the delegates at the
beach