Evening star., 1934-02-06
Gripping of Standards
Bureau Viewed as Unwise

To the Editor Of The Star:
happened to read an article that
appeared in The Evening Star OF Sat-
urday, January 6, 1884, relative to the
Bureau Of Standards.
am not a bit surprised to see this
statement, as I have a brother who
has been nearly 30 years in the Gov
ernment service and recently received
a salary cut-just at the time when
the Government, through N. r. A.,
private employees.
I had another experience with the
Government employment last Winter.
My son, who had graduated from Tu-
lane in June, received through the
kindness Of the engineer in charge OF
the Mississippi River work position
as recorder at the Natchez Office He
went to NatcheZ, paying his own trans
portation and hotel bill while there.
He worked about three weeks and WAS
laid off. had salary cut while on the
job and had to pay his transportation
back. Rather an Improbable trip at
$50 per month.
You will readily see that Govern
ment work of a technical nature is
not in the preferred class, and ! am
not at all surprised at the action taken
to reduce the activities Of the Bureau
Of Standards.
The Government at times does need
highly trained technical men, regard
less OF whether the Government wants
where the Government really wanted
a typographical craftsman, and the
position was declined by a competent
man because he had one experience
in being buffeted around and preferred
to remain In employ of a private con-
cern, where his ability was recognized,
even though his salary was less than
offered by the Government.
Such practice as outlined In the
article will destroy governmental eff
cheney, and the failure must be surely
felt in time No organization could
buffet the storm successfully without
adequate recognition Of responsible,
educated and intelligent persons in its
employ. If it did not recognize talent
1t would not last long, and neither
can such principles make govern
ment sound. This is plain, ordinary
horse philosophy.
AS an inspector I know as a fact
/ that the commercial and safety stand
ard group in the Bureau Of Standards
is the bulwark Of all safety regula-
tions that the people Of these United
States enjoy at present Permit this
work to be done by persons who have
only a selfish interest in safety regu-
lations, and We may as well surrender
the real principle of safety in engi-
neering.
I have seen instances where men
from the Bureau of Standards saved
the day in many conferences. These
men were practically alone the sup
porters Of adequate rules and regula-
tions. Every man looked to them as
the only unprejudiced parties TO the
conferences. Take these men away
from the work Of making safety regu-
lationS and We will have chaos: not
because there are not capable men in
private life, but purely economic rea-
sons that affect the latter group
We need the balancing effect that
the Bureau of Standards provides.
Every industry recognizes this TO be a
fact. and without this usual support
industry at large will, through dis
agreement prompted by fear Of COM
petitors. fail in its endeavors. to CO.
ordinate workable rules into standards
that may be safely adopted by any
political subdivision in this country.
The Bureau of Standards has not
been dictatorial; quite the contrary,
its engineers have been most consid-
crate IN all Of their dealings with in
dustry. They have, however. stood for
engineering principles of safety when
others would have been content to
subordinate principles to practical ex-
pediency. GEORGE WELMAN.
New Orleans, La.