Evening star., 1922-06-11


paign has been started among high
way engineers to show how the cost
/, Of road construction is being made
unnecessarily high. 1t hits the tax
payers because of the economic waste
through needless varieties of culverts
and other road construction materials
that could be standardized. II there
is less variety and more uniformity
in specifications, SO that culverts and
other materials can be manufactured
in quantity-the taxpayer is going
to get a few more miles Of good roads
for his money.
Fnrm Implements
to he Standardized.
Again, the agricultural engineers
and farm equipment manufactures
are cooperating in a survey of the
! implement field with the purpose Of
ehecting further elimination OF
styles. During the war under pres
sure OF the conservation division Of
the war industries bureau some cur
ta:lment was made and these manu-
facturers have best weathered the
financial depression which has hit the
farm implement business harder than
most others
Take the case of the manufacturers
or household refrigerators and Of ar
tihcial ice. Standard sizes are being
worked out so that the artificial ice
cake will cut nicely to fit the standard
sized refrigerator with a consequent
saving not only of expense to the
housewife Of having the block OF ice
Clipped to get ii into the refrigera-
tor. but TO her nerves as well.
A survey OF the stove industry is
being made.
The tent and awning manufacturers
have suffered through a wide range
Of more than 700 kinds of awning
stripes. The variations in sizes Of
windows and doors have forced them
to hand-tailor their product to fit each
particular job instead OF allowing
them to bend their frames TO stand
ard sizes. So the standard sizes OF
doors and windows will effect eco
nomic saving on the awning. and
screen business.
MdnuIdCluItTS IldSS anu
now have to make an endless variety
Of sizes. While there is a certain
true proportion as to length and
width there have been no standard
sizes. The new standard sizes will
/ allow them to manufacture in guam
| tity for stock.
Grocers and Gamers, box manufac-
turers, express companies. railroad
com panies, warehouses. ETC., are all
interested in the Standardization OF
containers for food products. bottles.
boxes, cans, etc Each experiences
certain waste in storage, labor.
equipment for handling, etc, because
of the lack of uniformity.
Electrical Appliances
Have Variety Of Connections.
In the electrical industry, while
there has been standardization OF
lamp bases, with a big convenience
to dealers and users. they have not
! vet standardized what is called the
| appliance end of the cord. They
are making the socket SO that
standard bulb will fit, but with hun
, dreds of different kinds Of attach
| ments there are as many different
sizes and kinds of connections. with
the increasing popularity Of cleo
trical appliances each manufacture
&c making his own kind OF connec-
tion.
| This section on simplified practice
of the Department OF Commerce mas
! asked the American enVineeFlne
] standards committee to canvass the
various technical bodies for sugges-
| t,ons as to various practical and
| commercial simplifications that will
! eliminate waste in many industries
| while at the same time preserving
American standards of living and
| living wage. Trade associations rep
reseuting the various Industries are
also called IN, so that the standard
zation worked out is not something
| ..hish brow" proposed by the scleh-
| lists. but represents the best thousht
of the technical men and industrial
| engineers and the practical every
| day users.
Something of the ranificauons ana
| the spread of the economic saving
through the campaign OF Standard
| zation can be visioned when one
stops to think that whenever you
simplify the styles and sizes OF any
product YOU also lead to simplih-
cation of the processes by which 1t
is produced. The possibilities OF SIM
plifying the machine tool industry Is
a good example.
| Yet another sidelight is shown iii
! the appearance, a couple Oh I'd! >
! ago, of w. A. Durgin, chief OF the
| division of simplified practice, be-
/. fore the chamber of commerce of the
music industries in New York at
their request. He explained how this
| simplification campaign works In
with their own efforts to put more
music into the homes-since 1t has
been proved that simpliflcations In
the manufacture of musical instru-
ments can be effected without de-
stroying artistry or tonal qualities.
| The first big general public result
of this campaign of Standardization
will be shown before long in the
building industry. There is another
division Of Hoover's organization.
known as the division on building
and housing, OF which John NJ. Cries
is chief. This division seeks to carry
into practical, working. effect in the
building industry the standards
worked out through the other divi-
sion under Mr.. Durgin. Two main
| coumittees cooperate with the divi-