Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1921-current, 1922-05-23

Washington, D. c., May 2O.-If you
get short weight on meat or straw
berries At the orner grocery it is not
because Uncle Sam is unable to produce
accurate weights and scales. At the
United States bureau Of standards gov
eminent scientists can weigh q name
written on q sheet Of paper. They can
even add a period after the signature
and weigh that. And the same precis-
Ion may be applied to weighing on a
larger scale. II 1t were necessary the
apparatus could be provided to weigh a
25,OO0-ton battleship so accurately that
the absence OF even a n pound rivet
could be detected.
Back in 1890 the two national stand
ards, two little kilogram weights each
containing $4,000 worth of platinum and
iridium were brought to this country
under seal and were opened by Pres
ident Harrison. They had been made
by order of the international Weights
and Measures Conference at Paris.
Each country represented received two
kilogram weights, and the two original
weights from which they were made
were deposited at Paris in q vault
guarded by three separate locks. The
presence Of all three of the officials
who keep the three keys tt the vault
is required whenever these two most
valuable weight standards in the world
are consulted.
Since the bureau Of standards was
established our two national standards
nave remained there, locked ID a vault.
No n touches them with his fingers.
past 80 years, but it is always handled
with chamois covered pliers. The 9TH
er had never been taken from the vault
until a test was made the other day
because the scientists wanted to find
out whether the standard that had
been used was affected by handling.
They also wished to compare the sec
ondary standards which are more gen.
eraly used about the laboratories with
the national standards.
The test showed that the national
standards have not changed appreciably
during their 80 years existence. Other
weights also showed changes so slight
as to be unimportant. The largest
change in a kilogram weight noted by
the delicate apparatus of the govern
ment laboratory was n ten-millionth.
This weight had been used for more
than 30 years.
This was serious work because the
weight standards of the country are of
tremendous Importance. They are the
best weights made. and they are the
basis of the weighing that goes on in
markets. stockyards, s%hipbuilding plants
and factories. They are rarely used
because the government does not wish
to endanger their accuracy by handling
them. They are only to be taken out
at long intervals. as they were the 9th
err day, to make sure that the country
is operating on a sound weight basis.
P%recautlon Observed
The layman generally thinks that he
Is weighing carefully when be holds
his breath and steadies his hands as
he slides the weights on the bar. That
be careful enough work for or
binary purposes. but the bureau of
standards sets the record for extreme
caution in weighing tests. Watchmak-
ers, diamond merchants, pharmacists
and research workers who use fine and
accurate balances send their weights
to the bureau to have them proved by
government standards.
The balances in the government
laboratory are in glass cases. The
weights are placed on the scale pans
with holders. Some balances are so