Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1922-12-20

Washington D. c., Dec. 17.-lt has
often been said that the United States
government Is the biggest institution
in the world. It has also been said
that 1t 10 the worst. The first asser-
ton tends to malN US swell with ma
'r snse assertion, A.. substantially
true, There can be no doubt about
the size Of the Business establishment
conducted by Uncle Sam, and there
have been So. many revelations as to
the wasteful and inefficient manner
in which he does" business that moth
ing Of that sort shocks anybody any
more. 1t is all the moro interesting.
accordingly, to learn that something
has actually been accomplished In the
way of injecting real business meth
DDS intoE government affairs.
the creation Of a federal tspecifica-
lions board with DR.. s. W. !stratton.
head Of the bureau Of standards, as
chairman, and now a second has been
taken through. the appointment by
the American engineering standards
committee Of q standing committee on
cooperation with the federal Sspecifi-
cations board. This will give the gov
eminent the best brains and talent at
the command OF the 200 industrial
organization that are cooperating in
the work of the American engineer
ing standards committee. -
The members OF. the committee who
are to work with Dr.. Stratton's board
treasurer and superintendent of distri-
|butions Central Union Gas company,
New York; John A. Capp. chief of
testing laboratory, General Electric
company. Schenectady and. Sullivan
W. Jones, chairman Of 1.-THE structural
service committee, American institute
OF architects, New York.
r In commercial circles 1T has long
been a common saying that 1t costs
10 per cent more to do business with
the government than with other GUS
toners. This waste-and surely un-
necessary expense must be so termed
-haSf been due largely to q lark OF
uniformity in government specified
by various governmental agencies and
to the fact that the government speci-
fications were rarely II ever identical
with those of ordinary COMMERCIAL
,concerls. ssS
Standardization Difficult.
ThiAsshaB meant thai an individual
or q corporation that wanted to sell
a certain article to the government
has found differing specifications is
sued by various departments or bu-
reaus, none of which conformed ex-
actly with the specifications which
must. be met in dealing with private
buyers. Thus It has been practically
impossible to produce 9 standard ar
ticle that would meet all ordinary re-
quiremsnts, governmental and CONF
.mercial.: "
DR.. strattor's board aims to bring
into line, with the best commercial
practice not only the s~pecifications
which are to be approved by the
board il. the futurs but Also those
which have already been approved,
OF the latter there are shout 40 and
these will be revised at intervals Of
about a year.
The specifications which have al
ready been submitted to the American
engineering standards $comlplttee I'M
der the. new cooperative arrangement
cover the following. Hosss for vHrious
Industrial epurpoSes. wood screws
sterilizipg equipment. cDtton duck,
,phosphor tin. siAcon copper and. pis
Il Il the ,unanimoust opinion 81 fed
eral officials and The Officers 2 the
mitteSSthat this co-opsrattoti between.
misunderstanding industries, the govern
ment ana Other coiisGIsers VII result
IN aWtdsnin1 o sthO Sourcs gof supply
for allsskoyernment requirements and
In important sconof4iss not oiiiy 40
the sGCvotnntsnt but 70 0thSr consum-l
lsels tk those PRODUCES which are no
required by the g~overnrieift dSpark-
inentss II Is expected that this Saay-