Evening star., 1928-05-13
u. S. DECORATIONS ARE URGED
FOR WORK IN PUBLIC WELFARE
Heads of Bureaus Suggest
Names of Persons Worthy
of Recognition.
Action Follows Introduction
of Bill in House
by Griffin.

Should the United States have q
decoration corresponding to the Con-
gressional Medal of Honor or the Dis
tinguished Service Cross for civilians
in the service of the Government who
perform the sort of service which
wages cannot buy and whose voluntary
labors result in the saving of millions
to taxpayers, the creation of new in
dustries and the saving of countless
| lives?
| There have been hundreds of such
unSung heroes in the Government serv-
ice whose exploits have been as courage
Gus and self-sacrificing as any by
| soldiers and sailors in the face of the
enemy, according to Representative
Anthony j. Griffin of New York, who has
introduced bill to create such medal,
possibly accompanied by an annuity for
the recipients. Heads of various Gov
ernment departments employing scien-
tiflc workers are highly in sympathy
with the measure and son,e of them
have made up lists of individuals whose
services have been such as to merit 1t.
Col. E. Lester Jones, head Of the
Coast and Geodetic Survey. brings for
ample of a man who deserves the high
est decoration the Government can
bestow.
Machine Saves Money.
The man cited by Col. Jones is Ernst
G. Fischer. inventor OF the marvellous
tide predicting machine, which saves
the Government approximately $1,000
600 year in actual cash. to say no.
~ Nf 40 lFa IfxfAc knSy1
chanically accurate predictions.
Mr. Fischer Col Jones said, did most
of the work on this brass brains" at
his own home after hours, laboring far
into the night for approximately Is
years and without receiving a cent
extra pay. He now is retired because
OF age and receives a retirement al
lowance hardly sufficient to keep him
in comfort.
Representative Griffin brings UP the
case of Master Sergt. Paul r. Nelson
of the Coast Artillery, the inventor of
scheme for the reduction OF cables
used in coast defense fire control which
saves the Government approximately
500. 900 year. and for which the in
ventor has received no reward or recog-
milton.
DR.. George K. Burgess, director OF
the Bureau OF Standards. furnished the
following list of men who In compare
lively recent years have done extraor-
dinary and unrewarded service, largely
on their own initiative, for which he
believes the award of high medal
would be appropriate:
George A. Dorsey and Edward b.
Rosa. who determined the ratio OF
electromagnetic to electrostatic units
OF electricity. thus establishing the
identity of electricity and light. DR.
Rosa is dead and DIR. Dorsey Is now
with the National Research Council
here.
Aided Night Flying.
Chauncey j. Peters. whose work has
made possible the use of light waves
as material standards OF length and
made practical measurements finer
than one -millionth OF an inch.
Fred A. holster. inventor of the radio
direction finder, which made possible
extended night flying.
stellar radiometer so delicate that 1t
can measure almost exactly the surface
temperatures Of selected areas OF dis
tant planets.
L. A. Tuckerman, inventor OF an
optical strain guage which greatly in
creases the precision OF engineering
measurements.
William r. Meggers. whose work with
the spectroScope on the structure OF
matter has brought 10 industry q new
species Of analysis by which the pres
ence Of small impurities can be detected
In few seconds instead of by long
extended chemical analysis.
Frank Wenner. inventor of record