The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1921-02-04

WARRINGTON, ~. C.s Ecu. A.-AA
American inventor and . scientific
bureau Of the American govern
ment. working together. have
broken . world monopoly. raised
the standard Of American manufac-
turing. and saved the American
manufacturers sums which will
amount to millions in . few years.
The story Of how this was done
Is already well known to most me-
chanical engineers, and others who
closely follow developments In me-
chanical technology, sbut 1t has
never been adequately told to the
general public. Yet it is surely of
first-class interest to every Ameri-
can, ~ showing how . scientific
bureau Of his government works to
help both industry as . whole. and
individuals who need help in de-
veloping their ideas. It 10 Of spe-
cial interest right now, when the
whole country seems to be adopting
a critical attitude toward federal
activities and federal expansion.
There seems to be . general feel
ing that we get too much federal
government during the war, and a
desire to find out just what the gov
eminent ought to do and what II
ought not to do.
!, One of the smallest parts Of the
federal government is its system Of
scientific laboratories where sci
entific bearing on agriculture, in
dustry and health are worked out.
These bureaus are not primarily
administrative. They represent
cooperative effort on the part Of
the American people to apply sci
ence to the problems Of their daily
lives. They are often criticized in
congress and elsewhere for their
extravaganza and they got about
one per cent Of the money appro-
priated to run the federal govern
ment in 1920.
The bureau Of standards is a
typical one Of these bureaus. 1t
maintains standards Of weight,
measure and the like, and does
work toward standardizing mater
ials, which is perhaps the greatest
/ single step toward economy in
manufacture. 1t tests all of the
materials purchased by the govern
ment, and also makes tests for
private individuals and concerns,
for some Of which fee is charged.
This story illustrates how this
bureau operates to help industry.
and how it pays for itself in bene-
fits to industry.
A Gauge Needed.
During the war the bureau OF
ordnance of the war department
had great need for some standard
by which very fine measurements
could be made. For example, sup
pose they wanted to make a part of
a shell 1886 inches in thickness.
The success in making those shells
would depend on measuring that
distance exactly and setting the
machine with that same exactitude.
This problem arises in all sorts
of manufacture of machinery,
/ where things are made in quantity,
and where the parts are supposed
to be interchangeable. This bust
ness Of interchangeable manufac-
ture is one in which America leads
the world. In Europe much of the
finest mechanical manufacture is
not on an interchangeable basis.
That is, some Of the finest foreign
automobiles, for example, are made
each >by itself. Each bearing is
fitted separately to its crank shaft.
If you broke the crank shaft, you
could not send to the factory and
get new one that would fit. You
would have to have one made TO the
measurements of other parts of
your cara long and expensive
process. In this country, even the
finest cars are made on an inter-
changeable basis. Economy, both
in manufacture and repair, natur-
ally depends upon this interchange
able system. And interchangeable
manufacture, in turn, depends
above all, upon microscopic exacti-
tude Of measurement. II measure
ments can be made to the ten
thousandth of an inch, and the ma
chimes set with that exactitude, and
frequently corrected, then the ma
chine can turn out parts which are,
to all interests and purposes, ex-