Evening star., 1924-01-06
BUREAU OF STANDARDS
SAVES MILLIONS TO u. S.
$1,000 for Every Hour Shenandoah Is
in Flight But One Example
Of Economies.

stance. research is just beginning at
the bureau into the various types OF
gas heating fixtures on the market.
Comparatively few persons are as
phyxiated because of faulty gas
heaters, but thousands of outstanding
and abstemious Americans have ter
rifle headaches day In and day out
because carbon monoxide is manu-
factured in some gas heaters. Gas
heater manufacturers may not relish
the thought that the bureau Is going
into their field. but. on the other
hand, similar experiences of the bu-
reau have developed the fact that in
dustry is just as anxious to over
come defects in it's products as the
bureau of standards. and is anxious
to help rather than hinder this gov
ernment agency in its work.
Few instances Give Idea.
Coming down to brass tacks and
some Of the accomplishments Of the
bureau, it would be difficult and per-
haps useless to attempt an estimate
of the total savings brought about
through the bureaus various re-
searches. But few concrete in
stances might give an idea of what
the total would amount TO.
Ten thousand dollars a month Is
the estimated savings on the depth
sounding operations of a single ship
of the coast guard fleet by the use
of device developed by the accous-
tics laboratory of the bureau. Loca-
tion Of sounding points can now be
fixed, even in fogs, by sound signals
from ship to shore stations through
water, the signals being automatical-
ly relayed to the ship by wireless on
reaching the shore station. At pres
ent the fog prevents work twenty
five days a month.
An annual saving of s65,20 in the
cost of government telephone service
was made as the result of an expert
survey by the telephone section of
the bureau.
The testing of electric lamps and
their factory inspection are saving
the federal government at least $780,
900 annually.
The decentralization by the bu-
reau of instruments used in fixing
Athe customs duties on imported
sugars is resulting in an increased
revenue on imported sugars Of
100000 per year
$4,000 Saved for District.
At least $4,000 a year is being
saved the District Of Columbia in it's
purchases of fire hose as. a result Of
specifications drawn up by the bureau
of standards and experiments tn its
laboratories.
The radiometry section of the bu-
reau suggested that in airship han
gars venetian blinds be used, painted
buff color. to reflect sunlight into
balloon hangers. This eliminates
ultra violet rays, which cause rapid
deteriora tion of balloon materials.
The estimated saving on a single
hangar was $25.000 a year.
A new industry, the production of
pure glucose, has been
made possible by discoveries of the
sugar section of the bureau. Experts
at the bureau prepared 1000 pounds
of pure dextrose by the new method
and proved SO conclusively its COM
mercial feasibility that more than
$2.000,000 recently has been devoted
by the sugar industry to building
factories to. produce dextrose by the
bureau method. The ultimate value
to the world is beyond estimate.
Data compiled by the bureau of
standards in cooperation with the
Post Office Department show that
specifications for motor gasoline
for the government may be for
mulated in such a way as to
increase the possible gasoline
production in the country by approx
imately 15 per cent-that Is. 500.-
100000 gallons per year-with no i'm
portant sacrifice by car owners in
operation difficulties or costs.
The saving to the country from the
bureaus work on batteries of va
rious types is conservatively esti-
mated at more than s350,00o per
year on account Of better quality,
performance and durability.
Three hundred and seventy-f1ve
thousand dollars saving a year may
oS VI eoieeu TO the OuIedu 3 lnSeSttsd-
tlons of causes and remedy for dam
age to underground metal work from
stray electrical currents.
And this is not, by any means, a
complete list of the bureaus saw
ings. But any one of the majority
of those cited above Is enough to
pay for the operation of the bu-
reau of standards for many years
; to come.
M TT 1s1