Evening star., 1925-03-18

Saving of $1,000 an hour for each
and every hour the Shenandoah Is In
flight, saving of $10,000,0O0 annually
to the automobile owning puDhc from
a study of brake linings-theSe are
illustrations of how by just llttle
unheralded investigation the Ohlteu
States Bureau of Standards is saving
vast sums annually to American ousi
ness and to the already heavily laAeu
people of this country.
Lives are saved, money is saved
raw materials-the supply Oh MHich
is rapidly being depleted-are oeins
saved, time is saved-by caretul STUDY
of the greatest corps of sclentlsts IN
ALL the world. cooperating win
American industry and the Ploles
sions, under Government auspices III
this Iittle-heard- of bureau.
1t is Unc'e Sans university.
Has Many Duties.
Under the law this bureau Is IN
trusted with the custody OF all sorts
Of standards, comparison OF the
standards with those useo III seieilCo, sli
Industry. technology, commerce ana
educational institutions; the testing
and certification Of standard measur-
ipr, Instruments, the solution OF pFop-
lens arising in connection win
standards the determination OF physl-
cal constants and properties OF ma
terials. .;,d;r-
It tells how much weight bulIdins
materials will hold. 1t tells Whal
road building materlalS VIZ -
Largest. 1t tests the dishes you use
+ha clothes YOU wear the night llSht
by which YOU work or STUDY the
oua1ity of paint, the purity OF drugs
whether certain construction IS reaiig
6renroof-in fact, the strength anu
quality of anything and eVerytLlns;
Tbe work of the Bureau of stand
ards is carried on for the beneut VI
the National Government OF 9td.e
governments, of industry as a "lole
and in parts, and for all lhe PuoiiI'
individually and collectively II dlu9
industry directly through co-operat-
ino com,,ittees to determine the best
standards of dimension, quallty' per
|ornance and practice. Its unique re-
search and testing facilities are useu
70 discover and eValuate material
standards and to solve basic lecilillcdl
problems of industry. Ihe bureau
work on standards of measurement Is
designed to aid accuracy IN lhuustlS
through uniform and correct meas
ures In this the bureau aSslsIS III
size Standardization of containers anu
products, in promoting systematic IN
ures to insure justice in daily trade,
and finally to facilitate precise re-
search in science and TECHNOLOGY
through the standardization OF meas
uring instruments.
For example, the restandarulZatloh
nv the bureau of instruments USED IN
fixing the customs duties on imported
sugars has increased the revenues
100000 year.
Carry On Radio Work.
One of the problems to which the
bureau has of recent years given con-
siderable expert study is the stand
ardtzation of methods and lnstru-
ments used in radio communication
Investigations of building materials
and their efficient. use and standard
ization of types of appliances for hre
prevention has been an important re-
cent study. Standards of quality and
methods of measurement of paper,
leather and rubber have been de-
yeloped. Such materials as VarnlSh,
soap, ink and chemicals, especially
supplies for the Government, have
been tested.
Fundamental data required by en-
gineers and others regarding internal
strain of ropes and cables used IN
mines, elevators, bridges, rigging, and
this has led, in turn, to the develop
ment of instruments for field use to
measure the stress and strain in ad-
vance of rupture. 1t has also led
to research for improved methods of
making such rope and cable. This
is an excellent illustration of how
these scientists help to promote eff
ficiency in industry and at the same
time safeguarding human life.
The bureau has done remarkable
job in cooperating with the Federal
Government, with engineers and with
manufacturers in formulating stand
ards of performance of instruments,
equipment, tools and other devices,
and in the testing and inspection of
these. 1t investigates railroad track
scales and other large scales used for
interstate shipments and of large
scales used by the Government in
transactions with the public. 1t in
vestigates mine scales and the con-
ditions and methods used to weigh
and measure coal in fixing wages
due, including all means of insuring