Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-04-22
Locomotive
Boilers.

Tooomo+;ra Congress to inspect loco
motive boilers. Not only
oolleFS. has this been SO. but the
Legislative act has recently been SO
amended that the locomotive boiler in
snection law also includes the entire
locomotive and tender and all parts and
appurtenances. which has presented to
the experts of the commission addi-
tional important problems for consid-
Grafton.
Besides the regular inspection work
| experts of the commission are informed
of all alterations as required by q
rule giving the division OF locomotive
this work and indicating that. with few
exceptions, satisfactory progress Is pc
ing made by the carriers of the coun-
try in complying with the require
ments. and that all boilers viii oe
brought up to the established STANDARD
within the limits set.
The alteration reports also disclose.
| it is said, instances in which improper
repairs are made before failure occurs
and have brought about practically
standard methods of repairing defects
which affect the factor of safety
1t is said by officials in charge OF this
work that a large majority OF the car
riers are diligent in their efforts to
law and are sincerely cooperating with
the division in charge of this 1nSpec-
ton work with that end in view. and
In such cases the beneficial results are
particularly noticeable.
A few railroads. it is said. have at
tempted to place the burden of IN
speeding their locomotives upon the
government by continuing to use de
fective equipment until 1t was found
and ordered out of service by federal
NH Nh resulted
instances in considerable Inconvenience
to shippers.
At the suggestion of the carriers
when Congress passed the new law for
| the inspection OF other parts mar JUST
the boilers. a proposed code was pre-
pared by the experts of the commission
In accordance herewith, and following
the usual custom. a conference was
held between officials of the railroads
and experts of the commission, at which
the rules proposed were discussed and
finally adopted and approved by the
commission.
The adoption of these rules caused
considerable increase in the work OF the
inspectors of the commission, which Is
reflected by the number of locomotives
inspected during the year. This Is due.
it is said to the additional parts of the
equipment which must be investigated
that were not covered by the experts
under the original boiler inspection act.
i
At this time of the year, when every
one who. can possibly borrow, steal or
hire an automobile or car
Rural riage fbr a ride into the
country officials of the of
noaos. flee of public roads and
rural engineering are calling the atten-
ton of public officials throughout the
United States to keeping good roads
good.
This, they say. is the most important
task in connection with an improved
highway system, once the construction
work is completed. In this country in
the past this task usually has been neg
| lected. the improved roads in many in
stances being allowed to deteriorate
until they become almost impaSsa bic,
when they were. at heavy cost, rebuilt.
| That states and counties are now COM
| ing to recognize the need of careful
and thorouehgoing maintenance, how
ever is indicated by studies of county
road systems in different sections of the
country recently made by experts of the
office of good roads.
| While some of the counties in which
| intensive studies were made were found
| to have no provisions for maintenance
and others were found to pay for up
keen of the roads out of bond-issue
| funds. thus creating debt that would
outliye the temporary Improvement by
MANY wears, two counties in widely
| separated states were found in which
| maintenance conditions were practi-
| cally all that could be desired, accord