The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1920-06-24
THE NATIONAL CAPITAL.
BY J. Il. Jones

BY J. T.. Jones
A clearing house for the engineer
ing thought Of the country was Great
ed thorugh the organization of the
Federated American Engineering SO.
cities, at an organizating conference OF
national, local, state and regional en-.
gineering and allied technical orgCn.
iZations, recently held in Washington.
From the standpoint of engineers the
federation of their organizations is
one of the big events of years, and Il
large number of societies have par
ticipated in creating the plan. Cal
vert Townley, who acted as chairman
of the gatherings, referred to "engin-
eering as the common language" and
it looks as though the aniiliatiOn of all
these societies will affect a sort of en-
gineering Esperanto that will appeal
to all classes of engineers for better
efficiency, since means have been sup
piled that will provide for Joint action
on matters Of common concern. The
word engineer" has a lot Of elasticity
and 1t covers multitude Of necessi-
ties to the human race. More than
100000 engineers. Of all yarities, were
represented by delegates at the big
Washington gathering. These includ-
ed chemical engineers, electrical en-
gineers, mining and metallurgcal en-
ginears, railway engineers marine en-
gineers, naval engineers, safety engin-
eers, radio engineers, hetaing and VEN
tilating engineers, automotive engin-
GERS, and engineers of every known
variety whose specialties range all the
way from refrigeration to handling re.
fractory substances with subdued fire
in the form of electricity.
The meetings of the engineers prov
ed to be of unusual interest, and as
engineering and efficiency are natur.
ally synonymous terms, it is note
worthy engineering achievement that
is recorded in the announcement that
the efforts of number of the more
progressive engineers of the country
to bring engineering minds into closer
contact where their ideas and efforts
will be fused for the good Of society |
as whole, has succeeded
The object of the national organiza-
tion is to further the interests of the |
public through the us eof technical |
knowledge and engineering experience |
and to consider and to act upon mat.
ters common to engineering and allied
technical professions.
The council is TO coordinate the ac-
tivites of state councils and of local
atfiliations whenever these activities
are OF national or general importance
or may affect the general interests of
engineers. In effect it will be the fed
eral reserve bank of American engin-
eering.
The Bell telephone system Is max
ing a tremendous effort to pull itself
out OF the hole in which 1t was left bv
Government operation 35,41S new tel
ephones were installed in New York
City alone in four months: but not
withstanding this unprecedented rec
ord there are still over 64.OCO applica.
tions for phones on the waiting list in
the metropolis The telephone COM
pany in a statement recently issued
says: 1T is safe to say that no in
iustry has been more forehanded in
providing for emergencies than the
Bell system. and yet day after day the
mails bring reports of broken prom
ses and materials vitally necessary
20 the work of construction are de-
aged.
1t is the same story in every in.
lustry--the story of a lack of supplies,
md the continuance of tagging pro.
Iuction While the telephone bust
less is being RECONSTRUCTED" after
laving been drafted into the war, it
lnds that It cannot get supplies for ex-
eading it's lines and placing new
homes. Possibly this is due to the fact
hat In the days Of Mr.. Burleson's /,
ostal management OF the wire lines